Mickiewicz i okolice : tematy romantyczne na łamach londyńskich "Wiadomości" z lat 40. i 50. XX wieku, s. 350.

Abstract

Książka, którą Czytelnik otrzymuje, jest owocem blisko czteroletnich badań nad emigracyjnym tygodnikiem. Podejmuję w niej zagadnienia rzadko i zazwyczaj marginalnie obecne w pracach historyków literatury. Tymczasem zgłębianie romantycznych tematów na łamach „Wiadomości” okazuje się istotnym i złożonym problemem. Badanie odbioru romantyzmu w kręgu autorów i czytelników jednego z najważniejszych czasopism emigracji polskiej XX wieku jest również fascynującą podróżą wśród kart historii polskiej literatury i ludzi z nią związanych. Praca składa się z sześciu rozdziałów (i bibliografii), których treści odpowiadają najważniejszym ogniwom recepcji epoki Adama Mickiewicza. Rozdział 1 ma charakter wprowadzający w problematykę pracy oraz metodę badań. Kolejny rozdział dotyczy świadectw odbioru romantyzmu w publicystyce i eseistyce. Analizowane są tu wypowiedzi o celach i zadaniach powojennego wychodźstwa w kontekście Wielkiej Emigracji, szkice i artykuły na temat romantyzmu, teksty o emigracyjnych i krajowych publikacjach poświęconych romantyzmowi, a także wypowiedzi krytycznoliterackie. W rozdziale 3 zajmuję się przede wszystkim edycjami dzieł romantyków omawianymi lub wzmiankowanymi na łamach „Wiadomości” oraz ukazuję różnorodne zainteresowania współpracowników pisma tematyką edytorstwa literatury romantycznej. Przedmiotem rozdziału 4 są utwory literackie i paraliterackie, które podejmują tematy wspólne obu emigracjom albo czerpią inspiracje z biografii i twórczości romantyków. Wskazując zabiegi intertekstualne, staram się przybliżyć dialog z tradycją literacką. Dodatkowo, przywołuję opinie krytyków i publicystów o tego typu kontynuacjach i nawiązaniach w literaturze Drugiej Emigracji. Rozdział 5 stanowi zaś próbę ujęcia najważniejszych stylów zachowań romantycznych emigracji pojałtańskiej, których obrazem, echem lub sygnałem są wypowiedzi na łamach „Wiadomości”. W centrum mojej uwagi znajdują się wybrane przejawy żywotności romantyzmu w społeczno-kulturalnej sferze działalności emigrantów. Rozdział 6 natomiast zawiera uwagi końcowe i podsumowuje wyniki dokonanych badań. Niniejsza rozprawa po raz pierwszy jest publikowana w całości. Wcześniej zaledwie kilka jej fragmentów włączyłem do osobnych artykułów, o czym za każdym razem informuję Czytelnika w przypisach do obecnej pracy.

The subject of the thesis is to try to organize, describe and interpret romantic themes in “Wiadomości” - one of the most important post-war Polish Emmigration periodicals. Various romantic topics relate primarily to the biographies and works of the Romantics, the history of the Great Emmigration and romantic styles of behaviour. The main motive for writing the thesis is the fact that romantic themes are still present on the pages of the London weekly “Wiadomości”: during this period it would be difficult to point to any of the editions without any references to Romanticism. The basis for the research is a number of editions of “Wiadomości” from the years 1946-1959, which include information statements, documentaries, essays and literary or so-called literary texts. The aim of the thesis is an attempt, so far absent in scientific reflection, to show how Romanticism was received by the writers and readers of “Wiadomości” from the 1940s and 1950s. The author tries to present certain ways of taking over and continuing the tradition of Romanticism and its importance for emigrants associated with “Wiadomości”. The work consists of six chapters (and a bibliography), whose contents correspond to the most important links in the era of Adam Mickiewicz. Chapter 1 is an introduction in which the author concentrates on the problems and the methods of research. The next chapter concentrates on the evidence of how Romanticism was received in journalism and essays. The author analyses statements about the objectives and tasks of postwar emmigration in the context of the Great Emmigration, sketches, and articles on Romanticism, articles about emmigration and national publications devoted to Romanticism, as well as a critical analysis of literary statements. In Chapter 3 the author deals mainly with the editions of works of the Romantics, which were either discussed or just mentioned in “Wiadomości”. The author also shows that the publishing staff were interested in a variety of topics relating to the editing of Romantic literature. The subject of Chapter 4 are the literary and so-called literary works which take on subjects common for both emmigrations or draw their inspiration from the biographies and works of the Romantics. By pointing to intertextual treatments, the author tries to create a dialogue with the literary tradition. Additionally, the author cites the opinions of critics and columnists about this type continuation and references in the literature of the Second Emmigration. Chapter 5 is an attempt to approach the major styles of romantic behaviour of the post-Yalta immigration, whose statements published in “Wiadomości” can be described as their image, echo or signal. The author’s focus is on selected forms of Romanticism in the socio-cultural sphere of emmigrant activity. Chapter 6 contains concluding remarks and summarizes the results of the studies. Mieczysław Grydzewski, the editor of the weekly magazine, was delighted to publish various statements about the Romantic literature and history of the Great Emmigration. During that period it would be difficult to find an edition of “Wiadomości”, in which there is even the slightest reference to Romanticism. The author of the thesis shows that the “Wiadomości” were essential for Emmigration of 1945 to continue the romantic tradition, whose role was described as providing information especially in its cognitive and educational aspects. A wider public was acquainted with the works of romantic authors and the authors themselves. In addition the results of historical and literary research were popularized and presented. “Wiadomości” also played a role in forming opinions and was influential in discussions about romanticism and its tradition. At the same time “Wiadomości” encouraged its readers to conduct research, comment and exchange views with the authors (an aspect of integration), as there is a widely expanded section of correspondence. The results of the research and investigations also indicate that the role of the weekly magazine was to stimulate romantic behaviour. “Wiadomości” not only enlarged the reader’s knowledge about the Romantic era and encouraged interest in romantic literature, but also very clearly turned towards the past, triggering a hesitation about the past in the marking and celebration of national anniversaries. In addition, writing happening in London was the basis on which objections to the shape of post-Yalta Europe were raised and where the communist government in Poland and its allies were denounced. This paper shows Romanticism as an important system and frame of reference in the development of Polish culture abroad, or at least the part of it which belongs to the circle of contributors and readers of “Wiadomości”. Romantic heritage was important for emmigrants, that is, it acquired them by an act of emotional identification with their predecessors, stressing the similarities of fate and the experiences of exile. Some emmigrants created a rationalization of tradition, which means they pointed to the current function assembled from selected patterns from the past. Apart from being a role model, romantic tradition also played an important role in creating the ideology of 1945 emmigration, helping the emmigrants to survive and maintain the character independence. In addition, the romantic tradition was a vital element of the awareness of literary poets and writers of the second emmigration, because it very often inspired and was the subject of many intertextual references. As aresult of all these treatments, romantic tradition proved to be one of the most important national traditions.